The plastic handle on the CF base is pretty stiff actually. When I had a plastic base that was where all the flex came from.
In all actuality carbon fiber really isn’t that rigid, yes it is far superior to the plastics used but aluminum is stiffer, about twice that of carbon fiber!
Carbon fiber is stronger and lighter, But not as tough as aluminum.
So if rigidity is really that important why don’t you use an aluminum seat-base?
Some Proof!
This is 15-5 steel.
This is Ti-6AL-4V Titanium
This is 7050 Aluminum
My dad has the cart for carbon fiber but it’s number is around 5.
My personal opinion aluminum would be better than carbon fiber (as a seat-base) and titanium would be better yet.
For the sake of it the plastic probably has an Elastic Modulus of 1 or 2. (I don’t know what plastic is used so I won’t guarantee that)
15-5 rigidity.bmp (1020 KB)
7050.bmp (972 KB)
Ti-6AL-4V.bmp (1020 KB)
if u’ve ever worked with carbon fiber, u’ll understand why aluminium will never be as good for a seat base.
Aluminium first has plastic properties. So when enough force is applied it will bend, weakening it and rendering the base pointless.
Carbon fiber will elastically deform a tiny weeny bit, and then break.
As I stated before carbon fiber IS stronger, just not as rigid.
So what do you want out of a seat base rigidity or strength? <This is a serious question.
And what do you mean elastically deform a tiny weeny bit, then break? Carbon fiber is flexible (but springs back). So are you saying that it’s yield tolerance is low and will break shortly after deforming?
Yes, but you can shape carbon fiber to be rigid in the directions you want it to be. Just like a tube or I beam is more rigid than a flat sheet. Design the part right and you can make it rigid where it needs to be.
You could make a seat base out of aluminum. But the machining to get it in the same shape as the CF or plastic seat base would be expensive (fancy CNC milling). Or you could cast it, but cast parts aren’t as strong as the same part machined from a block of aluminum. Forging is going to be expensive as well due to the die costs.
i still like the viscount seat for trials, fits my hand well for seat out, is super stiff and sturdy, accepts all handles with self tapping screws, only downside is, it’s heavy. hell i even like sitting on it more than a torker lx seat.
Seems like since plastic bases do seem to last some period of time before they broke, some design changes could make them much stronger, and yet still keeping the price way down from carbon fiber.
If you all remember fugeo’s old seat reinforcment, this is a great way to go. Its absolutly tank proof, and its cheap. It would be interesting to see a company like k1 or kh to make a sweet (stock) part like this. It would lengthen the lives of the seats almost to that of a carbon base and could be way cheaper, light too, seeing as how light they can get aluminum posts these days.
carbon fiber is elastic (meaning it deforms plastically but springs back into place)
but it does not deform plastically at all (or hardly any)
This is not necessarily ideal for a seatbase since more rigidity would be better, but a metal seat would bend (plastically) unless it was very thick then weight is involved, and manufacturing costs… You would need a bend in the metal and this owuld be expensive to mould/bend/forge/cnc out
So your saying it’s flexiable but dosen’t deform from it’s origional shape. Gotcha.
I’m pretty handy with metals but I don’t know much about composits.
So that means I understand what you mean about the Aluminum seatbase but being more expesnive (more overhead = gotta make a LOT to keep the price down)…But I don’t get what your saying about you can make the carbon fiber to be rigid in the direction you want it to be.
Could you try and explain this a little more clearly.
well when you are making a composite you choose how your layers are layed up. The actual “typical” carbon fiber look which is called a “twill” is not the strongest you can get.
The strongest arrangement of carbon fiber is by having 90/90, so all the fibers going one way on one layer and then all of the fibres going 90 degrees to them on another layer.
Also by layering the carbon fiber mat in different positions you can get less or more flex. You can also put reinforcement bits of carbon fiber in.
This would reduce flex alot 
So it’s like plywood:D.
Don’t mess with Mike or you got a problem with me dude.
Don’t mess with my God 
PM
you dont want aluminum in a base because it has no flex.
it wont bend.it will catostrophicaly snap.